


baby please come home

by butterflour



Series: Christmas-ing With You [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: A little sappy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boyfriends, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Comfort, Declarations Of Love, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Romance, a nice surprise at the end, doing work or chores before Christmas, inspired by a christmas song, joshua cried because of love, joshua is so in love with seokmin, seokmin is a treasure, seoksoo fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28129452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflour/pseuds/butterflour
Summary: It's Christmas eve and Joshua has an unusual holiday list—a to-do list.
Relationships: Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | DK
Series: Christmas-ing With You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060757
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	baby please come home

**Author's Note:**

> [Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah-U9ECRZog)

**pretty lights on the tree**

**i'm watching them shine**

**you should be here with me**

**baby, please come home**

* * *

Joshua made a list of things to do on Christmas eve (Christmas eve!) and to fill the time Seokmin would be away in order to not ruin the happy holiday vibes he conditioned his mind to since October because it was, emphasize this, _Christmas eve!_ and his boyfriend was called to work in his office.

The list:

  * Prepare the ingredients for Seokmin’s favorite Korean soybean paste stew and then cook it.
  * Wrap the gifts for the twins and their friends.
  * Go to the nearest post office to send letters to their parents.
  * Clean the apartment (or atleast just the living room).



But he knew everything would be easier if Seokmin was with him, that was the truth, because Seokmin makes everything easy.

* * *

The first thing on the list was easy peasy for Joshua. But he felt like a rusty robot, mechanical movements paired with a wiring brain, his actions lackluster and pure lazy against the setting sun of Christmas eve.

The task was easy, again, this he knew. He was to prep up the ingredients for the Korean soybean paste stew he picked as the dish he would serve later tonight for the annual Christmas dinner with his boyfriend. This was the only thing that he was supposed to do tonight. And he was supposed to do it with Seokmin. He was so excited to do this because Seokmin agreed to help him, and Joshua liked that, aside from the help he'd get, he would get to spend a priceless time with his boyfriend too. 

But just when they woke up together, wrapped in their shared blanket and cuddling close in their bed, a call from work sent Seokmin away in a flash.

Joshua grumbled loudly after the image of his boyfriend slipped his mind. The image was of Seokmin with his eyes half closed and beautiful, and the morning sun caressing his face, and then turning into something of great urgency. Companies who require their employees to work even during the holidays are evil, he thought. And everything would’ve been easier if Seokmin was with him because his presence, the way his laughter fills a room up, the way his smile lights the whole atmosphere, and how his small chatter and bumbling, grounds Joshua to a euphoric place. He just really makes everything easy.

Still, Joshua willed himself to move and to finish preparing the ingredients in order to cook the dish before dinner. Not that it matters anymore since he knew Seokmin would return home past dinner anyway. But because he would not let this instance defeat him and ruin his festive and jolly Christmas mood.

Instead, he searched for other easy recipes to cook to surprise his boyfriend. He knew how much this urgent work stressed Seokmin too, just as much as it did to him. A nice edible surprise would lift Seokmin’s spirit up, he was sure.

Ignoring the ache he was feeling due to the absence of his boyfriend’s presence, he diligently cooked the Korean soybean paste stew after finishing the preparation, and then he immediately started cooking other food he deemed worthy of Seokmin’s liking.

After what seemed like hours of nonstop cooking in the kitchen, Joshua looked at the time and it was just six in the evening. He released a low rumbling sound, annoyed and irritated that Seokmin was not yet released from his duties. And he'd been away since morning! He felt sad too, because he missed his boyfriend so much that he just wanted to hug the younger, to cuddle with him on their couch while they watch Home Alone for the nth time, and kiss him endlessly in the face, cheeks, neck, hands, and wherever his lips land. He realized he had it hard whenever he missed Seokmin and he was just all over the place because of the throbbing ache of his want for his lover.

* * *

To brush aside whatever he was feeling, Joshua decided to start the second thing on the list, wrapping the gifts they bought for Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s daughters and for their friends too.

It was planned that the two of them would do this but seeing how his boyfriend is caught up in his own matters, Joshua had no choice but to do it alone.

He picked a random gift wrapper inside their room and placed it on the living room table. He sat beside the table, carefully handing down the scissors and the tape he would use.

Joshua remembered the time they bought the gifts.

It was a sunny Sunday in early December. They made their way inside the mall after having breakfast outside the coffee shop near the area. They went to the department store and randomly strolled the place for things they needed to buy.

They both got lost in the clothes section, putting winter goods and proper clothing to wear for the season since they’ve outgrown last year’s attires. Joshua smiled to himself as he recalled how Seokmin pulled him to the toy section after a heated make-out session inside one of the dressing rooms, which until now, made him blush a deep shade of red.

Seokmin looked for age appropriate toys that he knew the twins would love. They stopped to look at dolls and stuffed animals, in which they picked both for the girls. They moved to the appliances section to look for house materials they would give their friends. Joshua chose a pillow set, perfect for Minghao’s new apartment and Seokmin, knowing how Jeonghan loved organizing his work papers, bought a new file organizer that was bigger than what his hyung used.

On one aisle, they both grabbed the same mug at the same section, their hands brushing against one another and Seokmin, almost smiling from ear to ear once they had their hands on top of each other, whispered how he wanted to give the mug as a gift to Joshua. Joshua chuckled, saying how he also thought of giving the mug as a gift to Seokmin. They smiled like idiots as they continued shopping for more things in the department store.

Now that Joshua had thought about that time, he terribly missed Seokmin more. He fought the urge to message or call his boyfriend. He didn’t want to pressure the younger with his impatient antics because he knew that just one call from him would send Seokmin back home to him as fast as he left this morning. 

Joshua’s place of comfort had always been Seokmin, and it hurt to think that this holiday break would be the only time he had to spend with Seokmin everyday, without thinking about work or any other prying business into their relationship, but still, _somehow, something,_ had made its way to disrupt their supposed couple time.

And oh, Joshua just loved Seokmin so much. He loved the way the younger’s eyes would smile along with his lips whenever he found something funny. He loved the way the younger would tell him stories about work or that series he watched and how he would talk about it endlessly, lost in his own world. He loved the way Seokmin's tender kiss on his lips would leave prints that he would feel until the daylight came and as he would say his sweet _goodnight hyung, I love you, I hope you dream of me_ and the wink that accompanied his statement, Joshua’s face would flush hard and his heart would beat so fast he might faint.

Joshua released a heavy sigh and whispered a small _baby please come home soon_ as he finished sealing the last of the gifts with tape and placing all the gifts under the Christmas tree.

* * *

Joshua draped one of Seokmin’s scarf around his neck, the scent of Seokmin’s cologne lingering longer as usual, as he exited their apartment building. It was already six forty nine in the evening. He had collected all the letters he and Seokmin wrote for their parents last week as their holiday greeting to them and slipped all of it in his small sling bag. He made his way to the post office, walking past Seokmin’s preferred ice cream shop and the local kindergarten where Seokmin would gush about the kids playing and running towards their parents every time they walked the neighborhood on Fridays.

He noticed how the small trees planted on the sidewalk are all covered white in snow and had shied their way into bending some branches. Joshua remembered how Seokmin loved walking in this particular part of town because it always reminded the younger of his province. Now, all Joshua was reminded of, was the way Seokmin would walk and look back at him, reaching out his hand for Joshua to take. Seokmin would then pull him in his side and would cling on his arms. That same sensation, Seokmin’s arms clinging into his own, burned hot as he entered the post office.

The inside of the post office reeked of coffee and sweat, and one swift scan of the room, Joshua realized the Christmas rush must’ve descended on this establishment as well because employees and some of the people waiting were all talking loud and moving fast inside, busier than a normal day.

He plucked a piece of paper indicating his place in the long queue. He noticed the line for the letters was shorter than the ones where people send parcels, so a whoosh of relief came to him. He sat on the nearest cold metal chair, filling up the necessary forms. After writing down everything that was needed, he relaxed into the seat and waited for his turn.

Bored and without any productive thing to do, he took the letters out of the bag and opened the envelope. He peeked at what Seokmin wrote to his parents and read it quietly, recalling how his boyfriend had wanted him to read it but because he was writing his own letter, he couldn’t do it back then. Joshua skimmed through the letter, endeared by Seokmin’s neat and beautiful handwriting.

A part of the letter made him stop breathing for just a second and clenched at his heart with so much gravity and Joshua’s sure he was a mess inside and that he wanted to cry right there and then. His heart skipped a beat as soon as the overflowing words of Seokmin registered in his mind.

_…don’t worry about it Eomma! Shua-hyung has been taking care of me well and he’s making sure I eat lots of good and healthy foods. He also makes sure I sleep on time everytime I’m busy with work. Sometimes I catch him in the corner of my eye, looking at me while I do some work at home but I don’t say anything because I love how he always looks at me that way. I think I’m the luckiest guy in this world Eomma. Shua-hyung loves me so much and it’s the love that needs no words, just like what you and Appa have. But I do tell hyung I love him from time to time because I love the way his eyes and ears would perk up whenever I say those words to him and I love how he always smiles at me even if I’m just doing nothing. I’ve heard people say that we love each other too much, but I honestly don’t see that as a problem because I know as long as I’m with Shua-hyung, I’m alright. When I was little, you and Appa would always tell me I deserve the world and someone would be lucky to have me. I think the world you were talking about was Shua-hyung, Eomma, and I’m lucky because I have him…_

Joshua rubbed his nose and sniffled quietly in his seat after reading Seokmin’s letter. He really _really_ wanted to see his boyfriend now. He wanted to hug Seokmin tight and pepper him with lots of kisses and shower him with affection in more ways than one.

A number, the same as the one printed in the small piece of paper in his hand, flashed in the big monitor in front of where he was seated, indicating he was up. Joshua fumbled with his things, fixing his crumpled clothes and taking the other letters out of his bag as his feet dragged him to the counter. In complete contrast to his waiting, the process was quick and he found himself being blown in the face with the cool winter wind outside the post office. He checked the time and it’s past seven thirty now. He hurriedly walked back to the apartment to finish his list and wait for his boyfriend to come home.

* * *

Cleaning the apartment was the real challenge of the night, Joshua thought. It was always the two of them, him and Seokmin, against the dirty and unorganized state of their apartment during Sundays, but now with Seokmin suddenly out for work, he had no choice but to face the monstrosity of their own mess, alone.

But Joshua allowed himself to indulge in minimal work as he decided to clean the living room only, since it was their annual tradition to sleep every Christmas eve in a makeshift bed on their couch.

He started cleaning through the couch with the vacuum and when that was done, he changed the pillow cases. He laid out a newly washed quilt and put Seokmin’s night blanket on top of it. He organized all these in no time, the fruit of his labor sitting perfectly on their couch.

He swept the floor with a broom, picking up the pieces of paper and wrapper he left a while ago when he was doing the gifts. He was reaching under the television stand when the broom caught on a piece of paper. Joshua eyed what was written on it and noticed Seokmin’s handwriting. It was a list. A list of potential gifts for him. Seokmin’s list of things to buy for Joshua with brief explanations as to why they were needed or why they were the ones Seokmin chose.

  * _A scarf - Hyung loves my scarfs so much so I want to buy him his own that looks like mine. I think he’ll like it if we have matching scarfs._
  * _A watch - I noticed how old hyung’s watch is so I want to buy him a new one. But he might not accept this since he would argue his watch is still working. Buy it anyways._
  * _A jacket - I noticed how hyung kept on looking out for the printed jackets in the department store last time, and If you ask me, they aren’t really his style, maybe a long coat would be more appropriate. But if hyung wants that, then I’ll buy it for him. He would look good in anything anyway._



_Note: think of more things Seokmin-ah, Shua-hyung deserves a lot of good things and make sure to give him a long kiss along with these gifts because he loves that so much!_

Joshua really could not hold it in him anymore so he cried. Like a baby crying for no reason at all, he cried as he was holding the small crumpled paper. 

Who knew a simple piece of paper written with random things, cute little hearts and doodles around it, along with his boyfriend’s messy yet beautiful handwriting would make him bawl his eyes out hours before Christmas.

And he knew how material things don’t really matter to Seokmin. But for him, he was willing to buy lots of things. 

God, if there was one thing he truly wanted at that moment, it was Seokmin. Joshua really needed his boyfriend now. The only thing in his head was Seokmin, hugging Seokmin, kissing Seokmin, Seokmin, Seokmin. His heart was full of only Seokmin.

After a few minutes of just him crying out of love and thinking and missing his boyfriend, he got up and finished cleaning and setting up the living room. Seokmin would be tired from his emergency work, he was sure, so he needed everything to fall perfectly in place for his boyfriend.

Upon checking everything and securing the food inside the dish warmer, he checked his phone for messages or calls. None. Seokmin must be really busy until this time of the night. 

Sighing in defeat, Joshua sat on the chair near the veranda of their apartment, observing the faint glow of the neighborhood through the christmas lights and the sound of the busy street, packed with people and the rush of the last hours before Christmas.

He was tired from all the things he did that he didn’t notice he had drifted into a serene slumber. 

* * *

He awoke to the sound of his phone ringing.

He immediately fixed his posture, bolting upright and grabbing his phone from the table. It was Hansol calling, he was slightly disappointed because he thought it was Seokmin, but was mostly confused as to why Hansol would call him at ten in the evening.

Joshua’s eyes widened in panic as he saw the time on his phone’s screen. It was past ten in the evening already and Seokmin’s wasn’t back home yet! It was unacceptable for him now, he would file a petition on his boyfriend’s behalf, questioning why a company forced an employee to work overtime in the middle of a holiday.

The phone kept on ringing, bringing him back to reality. He rubbed his eyes and remembered Hansol was calling him. He answered the phone and the voice of Seungkwan welcomed him, loud and pitchy.

“Joshua-hyung! Hello!”

“Seungkwan-ah? Hi! Why are you calling me on Hansol’s phone? Did something happen?”

“No hyung! We’re fine, we’re fine. Hansol has something to say, just wait a minute he grabbed something.”

“Oh, okay okay.”

“Hi hyung,” the calm voice of Hansol called from the other side of the phone.

“Hello, Sol. Seungkwan said you have something to say?”

“Yes. Well uhm… hyung I have a favor to ask you. It’s really urgent and you’re the only person I can reach at this hour.”

“What is it?”

“Well, there’s this gift Kwannie and I prepared for you and Seokmin-hyung, but it got stuck in this place. It’s near your apartment already and the driver ran into some problems so he couldn’t deliver the parcel to your door. Can you pick it up, hyung?”

Joshua made an effort to think of things to do, when he realized he had none, he replied.

“Fine, I’ll pick it up. Text me the location.”

“Sure hyung! Thank you so much!”

“Okay, okay. Bye now. Advance Merry Christmas to the both of you there!”

“You and Seokmin-hyung too!” Seungkwan and Hansol’s voice screamed in unison.

He ended the call and immediately wrapped himself in warm winter clothes. He got the text from Hansol and quickly went outside. He had enough of labor and people being forced to work on a holiday because this time should be celebrated with loved ones and he was pissed at Seokmin’s company and besides, he had nothing better to do anyway, so might as well just help this poor delivery guy.

He got fast to the location the text indicated but saw no one there. Not even a car nearby, which was weird.

He texted Hansol to confirm the place just as he noticed something. The open area was near Seokmin’s workplace. Dazed and confused, he just stood there, waiting for Hansol’s reply, looking around him for any sign of someone or something.

After a few minutes, his phone rang. It was Hansol calling.

“Sol? There’s no one here.”

“I know hyung, look behind you.”

Again, confused and tired, he turned.

And there he was.

Seokmin.

Standing with his right hand on his pocket, the other waving at Joshua, and he was smiling from ear to ear.

Joshua’s eyes couldn’t believe what he was seeing but his feet still ran towards his boyfriend. Upon reaching the younger, his arms wrapped automatically around Seokmin’s waist, pulling him closer towards his embrace. Seokmin’s arms made their way into Joshua’s shoulder, circling them around his neck. They hug each other tightly, the cool air their only witness.

“What are you doing here?” Joshua started.

“Well, I got off work like thirty minutes ago and I decided to surprise you here.”

Joshua hugged his boyfriend again.

“I’m sorry hyung,” Seokmin mumbled against his chest. “I know you were looking forward to our own time today. But I suddenly needed to do this.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault Minnie,” he reassured the younger one.

Seokmin looked at him in the eye and flashed his bright, warm smile.

“I’m still sorry.”

“You don’t have to baby, I understand, okay?”

“Thank you hyung. For waiting, for being understanding, and for going through the trouble of coming here,” Seokmin said, chuckling happily as Joshua brushed his hair away from his face.

“Always, Minnie.”

Seokmin smiled again.

“But why did you want to meet here? It’s freezing, you might catch a cold.”

“I know hyung but I can’t pass up on the opportunity to do it here.”

“Do what?” Joshua asked carefully, genuinely curious.

Seokmin went down on one knee and held out a small black box in front of him.

Joshua’s breath hitched.

“This,” Seokmin breathed.

“Shua-hyung, wait no… _Joshua Hong, would you like to marry me?_ ”

It was that simple and succinct. Seokmin’s question passed his ears like the gush of the cold wind. He took all the air around him and released a shaky breath. His eyes were suddenly releasing huge streams of tears and he almost choked on his answer.

“Yes,” he croaked out, “Yes, Minnie! I want to marry you, only you. God, I love you. Yes, yes, yes!” he blabbered on and on.

And all the things he did today flashed before his eyes. All the moments he spent thinking of Seokmin and what he had done that Joshua only discovered today.

He cupped Seokmin’s face as soon as the younger stood up, happy and shaking, and he crashed his lips on his boyfriend’s. He kissed him until they both had to pull away to catch their breaths and when they did, he kissed him again, the desire and want visible in its force. He peppered Seokmin’s face with kisses as soon as they pulled out from the second kiss. He didn’t miss his boyfriend’s cheeks, nose, eyes, and the side of his lips, declaring his love along all the features of Seokmin’s handsome face.

“I love you, Minnie.”

“I love you too, Shua-hyung.”

He wiped the tears from Seokmin’s cheeks and rubbed at the dried ones on his face and clasped their hands together. He saw his glowing reflection on Seokmin’s eyes. He let out a familiar smile.

“Let’s go home, I had quite the adventure today and I can’t wait to tell you. Oh, and I cooked your favorite soybean paste stew.”

“Really? Well, let’s go then.”

They strolled back to their apartment slowly, basking in the warm feeling inside them against the cold atmosphere of the unnoticed time. It was Christmas already and yet all Joshua could think of was the man walking beside him. The love of his life, his future husband, Seokmin. And just like the holiday celebration, he knew the feeling would linger around for days.

**Author's Note:**

> in this series, the stories don't really have anything to do with one another they all just have one common theme which is christmas
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated!! <3


End file.
